Button-type adjusting devices for dress forms



F. CROHN Nov; 17, 1959 BUTTON-TYPE ADJUSTING DEVICES FOR DRESS FORMSFiled May 1, 1957 INV EN 1 OR.

Z2 l x-f BY FRANK CROHN o/S United States Patent BUTTON-TYPE ADJUSTINGDEVICES FOR DRESS FORMS Frank Crohn, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 1, 1957, Serial No. 656,285

Claims. (Cl. 223-68) My invention relates to adjusting devices employedin sectional dress forms in order to gather or separate the sections tosuit garments of different sizes. The invention relates particularly tosuch adjusting devices as are controllable from the exterior of thedress form, and one object is to provide a device of this kind whichemploys a button and a receptacle of unitary construction containing themajor part of the device.

A further object is to design the aforesaid receptacle in a manner to bemounted compactly in the dress form.

An additional object is to design the receptacle in a manner to neatlyconceal the surface material usually mounted on the dress form, so thatsuch material may not appear in torn or frayed condition at the pointwhere the adjusting device is mounted in the form.

Another object is to design the button of the device in a manner to beset either in the position of locking the sections of the form at agiven spacing or releasing them for adjusting movement.

With the above objects in view, a better understanding of the inventionmay be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a typical dress form, showing a number ofdevices connecting the sections thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged duplication of the lowermost device indicated inFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device illustrated in Fig. 2 looking fromline 4-4 of Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged duplication of a portion of Fig. 3, showing theparts in an alternate position.

Reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing shows the sections of the formassembled in edge-to-edge engagement, but the sections may be separatedwherever necessary, and even to an overall extent, as indicated byphantom lines in Fig. 1, where the size of a garment is larger than theform.

Fig. 2 shows a pair of sections 10 and 11 in separated relation at apoint where an adjusting device is located. Primarily, the adjustingdevice involves a horizontal strip 15 which is attached pivotally to thesection 11 on a rivet 17. The strip crosses over to lie behind theadjoining section 10, as shown in Fig. 3.

The section 10 is made with a square perforation 18 into which areceptacle 20 of sheet metal is insertible, as shown in Fig. 3. Thereceptacle is in the form of a cup of square cross-section, the sides ofthe cup being formed in front with outward flanges 22, while the top andbottom of the cup are formed with longer upward and lower flanges 23through which securing means such as rivets extend.

The surface material 25 of the form is of jersey and thereforeexpansible. Thus, when the receptacle 20 is backed into the perforation18 of the form, it presses the surface material 25 in the particulararea back to become 2,913,151 Patented Nov. 17, 1959 tucked into theform, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, so that no projections or frayed edgesappear in front in case the material becomes torn or severed. Theflanges 22 and 23 of the receptacle 20 form stops against the frontalsurface of the form to limit the insertion of the receptacle therein andalso cover possible threads or edges which may creep forward from thesurface material strained by the insertion of the receptacle. The material is cut away from behind the receptacle.

The receptacle is made with alined slots 27 in its side wallsimmediately in front of the back wall 22a of the receptacle, such slotsfacilitating the sliding passage of the strip 15, as shown in Fig. 3.The strip is made with a longitudinal series of circular perforations30.

The control button of the adjusting device is in the form of a squareplate 32 which is situated in the front of the receptacle 20. The platehas an inward bend 34 at the rear, such bend extending with a verticalshank 35 as most clearly seen in Figure 5. The shank has an internalopening 36 of a size to permit the passage of the strip 15 therethrough;and the rear end of the opening has a center stud 38 which projects inforward direction. If a perforation 30 of the strip 15 occurs oppositethe stud 38, the entry of the latter into the perforation will fix thestrip against sliding motion in relation to the receptacle 20. However,if the button 32 is pressed from the front to back the stud out of theperforation, the strip will be free to slide. A coil spring 40 isdisposed in the cup 20, bearing forwardly against the button 32.

With the parts constituted as just described, the engagement of the stud38 with a selected perforation 30 of the strip 15 is maintained by theforward pressure of the spring 40 on the button 32. With the perforationselected according to the spacing of the form sections involved, it maythen be assumed that the sections are fixed at the desired spacing.However, in case the sections require a different spacing, they may befreed for motion by pushing the button 32. As stated before, such actionwill cause the stud 38 to release the strip 15 so that the sections 10and 11 may be adjusted toward or away from each other. Ordinarily, thebutton would have to be held depressed to permit the free relativemovement of the strip 15, but a simple means is provided to hold thebutton in the position shown in Figure 6, so that both hands may beemployed to manipulate the form sections while the strip 15 is free.Such means consists of a lip 42 projecting inwardly from one side wallof the receptacle 20 in the direction of the free edge of the button.Thus, after the latter has been pushed in, it may be swung laterally tocatch behind the lip 42, as shown in Fig. 6, the lip then retaining thebutton and its shank 35 in a position to permit free sliding of thestrip 15. It is preferable to mill the face of the button, as shown inFig. 2, in order that a better grip may be obtained on the same to swingit as stated. Also, it is of advantage to bend back the terminal end ofthe strip 15 after it has been passed through the receptacle, in orderthat the extreme separation of the form sections will not result in thestrip being withdrawn from the receptacle.

It is now apparent that the novel adjusting device, while employing thestrip connection suggestive of other tie devices for dress formsections, provides a unitary receptacle afiording a positive hold on thestrip at any point of adjustment. It is only necessary to cut or punch aperforation in the related dress form section to permit the pressing fitof the receptacle to absorb the surface material and become firmlylodged in the section. The square form of the receptacle prevents itfrom rotating, and maintains it in alinement with the strip 15. Further,the alined slotting of the receptacle walls provides a level bearing forthe strip 15, facilitating the smooth sliding movement thereof. Theconstruction of the button 32 not only renders it flush with the outersurface of the form, but also conforms with the shape of the receptacle.Thus, the button will not catch in any garment mounted on the form, andwill not rotate at any time to restrict the sliding of the strip 15.Also, the form of the receptacle is suitable for mounting the internalspring 40 in fully concealed position. Finally, the receptacle is of adesign to be formed from sheet metal and become sufficiently strong towithstand any strains or wear imposed by the adjustment of the formsections.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minorchanges or refinements may be made therein without departing from itsprinciple, and I reserve the right to employ all such changes andrefinements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. An adjusting device for adjoining sections of a dress form comprisinga strip carried by one section and having a longitudinal series ofperforations, a keeper carried by the adjacent section and having ashank engageable with a chosen one of said perforations to set thespacing of the sections, said keeper comprising a receptacle set in saidadjacent section and having a forwardly facing entrance, and a buttondisposed in said entrance and forming a headpiece for said shank, theshank being disposable in angular relation to the strip for releasingsaid strip when the button is depressed, and a projection on the side ofthe receptacle and engageable with the button when the shank isangularly disposed at an angle for maintaining the shank in a positionto permit relative sliding movement of said strip.

2. An adjusting device for adjoining sections of a dress form comprisinga strip carried by one section and having a longitudinal series ofperforations, a receptacle carried by the adjacent section and having aforwardly facing entrance, and a button disposed in said entrance andhaving a rearwardly-extending shank, the latter and the receptacle sideshaving alined slots through which the strip passes and the shank slotbeing wide enough to permit a limited backing movement of the shankrelative to the strip, and the shank having a stud extending forwardlyinto said slot and one of said strip perforations corresponding to achosen spacing of said sections, the depression of the button backingthe shank to withdraw the stud from said one perforation, releasing thestrip for sliding movement relative to the receptacle.

3. An adjusting device for adjoining sections of a dress form comprisinga strip carried by one section and having a longitudinal series ofperforations, a receptacle set in the adjacent section and projectingfrom the rear side thereof, a button in the front of the receptacle andhaving a rearwardly extending shank, the latter and the receptacle sideshaving alined slots for the free passage of said strip, the shank slotbeing wide enough to permit a limited movement of the shank relative tothe strip, and a stud projecting forwardly from the shank into its slotand designed to enter such perforation in said series as may registerwith the stud at a chosen spacing of said sections, the depression ofthe button backing the stud out of said perforation and freeing thestrip for said passage.

4. An adjusting device for adjoining sections of a dress form comprisinga strip carried by one section and having a longitudinal series ofperforations, a receptacle set in the adjacent section and formed with abottom projecting from the rear side thereof, a button in the front ofthe receptacle and having a rearwardly extending shank passing throughsaid bottom, the shank and the receptacle sides having alined slots forthe free passage of said strip, the shank slot being wide enough topermit a limited movement of the shank relative to the strip, and a studprojecting forwardly from the shank into its slot and designed to entersuch perforation in said series as may register with the stud at achosen spacing of said sections, the depression of the button backingthe stud out of said perforation and freeing the strip for said passage.

5. The structure of claim 2, the receptacle having a lip projecting intosaid entrance for abuttingly engaging said button when the latter isdepressed whereby to maintain the stud angularly out of engagement withsaid per forations to permit free movement of the strip through saidslot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS888,484 Gehorsam May 26, 1908 1,375,316 Pecoraro Apr. 19, 1921 2,054,840Statham Sept. 22, 1936 2,510,333 Davis June 6, 1950 2,723,784 BergerNov. 15, 1955 2,817,469 Crohn Dec. 24, 1957

